Umbrella organization for Hungarian public service media

MTVA

Since its foundation in 2011, MTVA has unified and streamlined all content production and asset management activities for the entire Hungarian public service media, thus becoming the largest media service organization in Hungary.

MTVA - in co-operation with Duna Media Service Non-Profit Ltd.

MTVA

Whilst producing content for television, radio, online platforms and news agencies, MTVA also manages all assets on behalf of the Hungarian public service broadcaster Duna Media Service Non-Profit Ltd. MTVA also provides support with content production and acquisition. MTVA operates 6 television channels, 9 radio stations, a news agency (MTI) and numerous new media outlets.

National and local identity

MTVA

MTVA successfully combines a national and a local identity via extensive programming cooperation with media partners around the Carpathian Basin

Broadcasting reach

MTVA

MTVA provides approximately 40,000 hours of television, as well as 52,000 hours of radio programming each year. Programmes are also transmitted beyond Hungary - to Europe, the American continent and Australia. MTVA’s content is broadcast daily into an estimated 99% of Hungarian homes

CHANNEL PROFILES

Television channel M1

Daily news and current affairs channel. Viewers can follow the news as they happen from 6am to midnight – with a variety of additional TV shows.

Television channel M2

Award winning children’s and family channel by day and a new youth TV channel after 8 pm, broadcasting fresh and innovative content under the Petőfi TV brand.

Television channel DUNA

As the main public service TV channel, Duna addresses a broad cross section of audiences, with entertainment shows, news, documentaries, sports, as well as religious and minority content.

Television channel DUNA WORLD

Broadcasting to expatriate Hungarians around the globe, presenting a selection of programmes produced by other public service channels as well as MTVA’s Archive shows. Also includes an English language news segment.

Television channel M3

M3 is a new retrospective channel, launched at the end of 2013, broadcasting archive programming, from feature films to sports events and quiz shows. Programmes are drawn from an archive of 56 years of MTV and 21 years of Duna Television.

Television channel M4 SPORT

Public service sports channel launched in 2015. Broadcasts live national and international sporting events, programmes about Hungary’s sport history and junior team matches. M4 also broadcasts non-live matches and summaries.

HISTORY

1953 › ESTABLISHMENT

1953

ESTABLISHMENT

On 23 January 1953, the Ministerial Council contributed to the foundation of the Hungarian Television Company (MTV)

1953

15 VIEWERS

The first trial broadcast (16 December 1953) was transmitted to workers at the Orion factory - only 4 km away from its point of origin. The first experimental 100 watt antennae was deployed on Széchenyi mountain on 20 January 1954, providing a more powerful television signal, but only reaching a total of fifteen viewers at this early stage.

1957

DAILY TRANSMISSIONS START

Daily transmissions officially began on 1 May 1957, when the annual May Day ceremony was brought to television viewers for the first time. Daily news programmes began broadcasting shortly afterwards. Although television services began life as one part of Hungarian Radio, those services were ultimately renamed "Hungarian Radio and Television" on 18 August, 1957.

1959

50,000 SUBSCRIBERS

By 1959, Hungarian Television had over 50,000 subscribers.

1964

2.7 MILLION VIEWERS

Five years later, MTV had some 2.7 million viewers; this figure had doubled by the end of the sixties.

1960

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ARCHIVES

In 1960, the corporation decided to establish an archive, which has since been used to store every production.

1960ies

COLOR TRANSMISSIONS START

The first regular colour recordings also began during this decade; however, regular colour transmissions did not begin until the seventies.

1973

MTV2 BEGINS TRANSMISSIONS

The second channel of MTV, later known as MTV2 and m2, officially began its life on 7 November 1973, following on from some experimental broadcasts made in 1971.

1992

DUNA TV IS ESTABLISHED

In 1992, a new public service television station was established and given the name Duna TV. This new channel operated independently from Hungarian Television, with only a few collaborations prior to the merger under MTVA in 2011.

1993

MTV BECOMES EBU MEMBER

MTV was admitted to the European Broadcasting Union, as a full right active member, on 1 January 1993.

2012

DUNA WORLD IS LAUNCHED

A second Duna TV channel was launched on 1 January 2012, this time named Duna World.

2012

M2 BECOMES YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S CHANNEL

In 2012, M2 altered its profile and became the most popular children’s channel in Hungary.

2014

MTVA's EBU GROUP MEMBERSHIP

Hungarian public service media organizations (MTVA, MTV, MR, DUNA) gain EBU group membership at the beginning of 2014.

2015

M1 NEWS CHANNEL AND PETŐFI TV LAUNCH

On 15 March 2015 M1 was renewed as a news and current affairs channel, and is broadcast from a state of the art studio designed by award winning set design company Jago Design. At the same time Petőfi TV was launched. The youth channel was incorporated into the structure of the M2 children's channel. Duna became the main public service TV channel broadcasting a wide variety of programmes.

2015

ESTABLISHMENT OF DUNA MEDIA SERVICE NON-PROFIT LTD.

Due to a change in media law Hungarian Television, Hungarian Radio, Duna Television and the Hungarian News Agency merged and continue to operate as Duna Media Service Non-Profit Ltd. from 1 July 2015.

2015

M4 SPORT IS LAUNCHED

MTVA launches its brand new public service sports channel. The programmes are broadcast from a state of the art studio designed by Jago Design.

PRESENT

Studios:

Hungarian Television's central building was previously located in the heart of Budapest, on ‘Szabadság’ Square, across from the Hungarian National Bank and the U.S. Embassy, and close to the Hungarian Parliament buildings. Prior to World War II, the building had also served as the home of the Hungarian Stock Exchange.

However, following a complete reorganization and technical expansion of the company, the former building could no longer adequately serve the needs of public service television. MTV was, therefore, relocated to its modern production base in the outskirts of Budapest, which now houses the entire public service media enterprise known as MTVA, including all its public service media platforms.

At present, MTVA also operates two regional television studios in the towns of Pécs and Szeged, where the majority of ethnic minority programming continues to be produced .